TN: Krug 162éme 98 Leflaive Chevalier 82 Conseillante 05 Kracher TBA

REUNITING BECAUSE WE CAN NOW - Chachama Grill Patchogue, NY (7/22/2021)

Aperitif
Pairing this with smoked salmon, sour cream and scallion potato pancake was a no-brainer.

  • NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 162eme - France, Champagne
    Very fresh and lively. The mousse is demure but uplifting. There is richness but balance. While it could do with more dimension and precision, this is a remarkably enjoyable Champagne.

Appetizer
Not the best pairing with grilled shrimp, seaweed salad in a hot oil sauce but I had plenty left for free range chicken with farro, baby spinach, shiitake mushrooms and natural jus, with which it naturally shined.

  • 1998 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
    Opened 2 hours prior and replugged. Decanted just before serving. Quite dark golden color. Any concerns were quickly dispatched. Much of the fruit has developed into mature flavors but it remains fresh and vibrant. Over the course of about 2 hours it continues to evolve, deepen and intensify. By the end, the nose is incredible. A wine of great depth and length. Truly Grand Cru and a wonderful experience.

Main course
Rack of lamb with mushroom risotto and string beans.

  • 1982 Château La Conseillante - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
    Fully mature with some funky prune notes. This was a pleasurable Pomerol that opened up over a couple of hours. Ultimately, it tasted more like a Bordeaux well on its descent than it did Conseillante. It might have benefited from a long, slow oxygenation or it has simply faded. Tant pis.

Dessert
Vanilla & Coffee Panna Cotta

  • 2005 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée TBA #7 Nouvelle Vague - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee
    A fun and interesting TBA that takes you on a kaleidoscopic tour of flavors. It is rich, unctuous and sweet and needs at least 5 years to coalesce, refine and focus. Certainly no harm in enjoying now for its provocative fruit. Pairs well with a variety of desserts.

Posted from CellarTracker

That’s a fantastic lineup even with the oth Conseillante. Cheers

I’m a kracher fan

The plan was for each of 3 couples to bring one wine (normally we do one per person) so we had time to appreciate each. But, of course, there were 3 dessert wines on hand. Tough choosing the Kracher given the other options.

Great lineup, Greg. Thanks for posting.
This is my third time this morning opining that Krug Vintage and GC both need 20+ years to shine, in my palate’s opinion.
Cheers,
Warren

I think the base vintage for 162 is 2006. Likely you have more Krug experience, but, this didn’t strike me as a wine that is going to develop complexity over time. If I owned some, I’d drink them near-term. Really delicious Champagne that scores high on the pleasure meter.